Sins of the Father
by Krac
Summary: Sure Giles was a wild child but even he was out done by his black sheep brother-now can they mend their fences and save Jack's daughter?
1. Default Chapter

Sins of the Father  
  
  
  
Part One  
  
The girl ran through the alley, not knowing what she was running from only that her life was forfeit if it caught her. The heavy mist settled around her legs, making it harder to run. It's cries were a roar in her ears-it wanted her-it wanted her blood. In the darkness she tripped on an empty garbage can. As she landed she turned to face the monster at her heels, she held her hands outwards and screamed...  
  
Liz woke in a cold sweat; the dreams always seemed so real. She looked over at her alarm clock Shit! She thought to herself, she was going to be late for class. Why me? She groaned Why is it always me these things happen to? Don't other people warrant a visit from the Bad luck fairy or am I extra special? Liz scooped up some clothes from the pile she had designated as 'clean'.  
  
"Morning Baxter," She patted the black cat's white ear gently as she opened his can of food, "How's my favorite man today."  
  
"Meow..." He answered purring at the sight of the treat.  
  
Pop always said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Liz pulled her hair into a half hazard bun and stuffed her long legs into a pair of pants. Her shirt was a bit wrinkled but she didn't have time to think about that-not that anyone would notice. Picking up her textbooks from the pile they had formed when she had grown tired of studying the night before, Liz locked her door and headed out.  
  
********  
  
Classes all ran together in Liz's mind, sociology might have very well have been algebra for all it mattered to her. The images from her nightmare had haunted her all day. Night had fallen long ago, usually she hated walking back to her apartment from the school at night-it actually freaked her out. At night the city lost its veneer of civility, it was a hard and cold place to be-even if it was always a breezy seventy-five degrees outside. Off in the distance a car alarm sounded, filling the air with its fury.  
  
I've really got to move into a better section of town. Liz laughed at herself; she was stuck right where she was-the money her father had left her was almost gone. Kicking a can across the alley Liz vented about her father's recent disappearance. Not that it's anything new. She mused grimly; he had always taken off for long periods of time as she was growing up leaving her with whomever he had been staying with at the time. Jack Giles a.k.a. John Wilson a.k.a. Scott Rupert and many other aliases she knew about and didn't had a motley assortment of associates-guerillas, artists, revolutionaries, archeologists, exiles, witches, terrorists, historians-her childhood following him all over the world had not been the embodiment of normalcy. But sometimes there are benefits to it all, she fingered the expandable baton in her bag-she had been taught to use it by a member of the KGB.  
  
Where ever he was Liz knew her father well enough to know he would be back. He always came back to her eventually; once he had lost what he felt was stalking him. He would find her when he was ready to reenter society. A cat screeched nearby startling Liz, she didn't like the mist rolling in from the west. Deciding the side entrance to her building was the closer bet Liz headed down the alley to her left and plodded onward.  
  
She stopped abruptly upon hearing something in an alley adjoining hers. Curious Liz moved to investigate, her baton out and at the ready. She could see a rather large man bending over a slight girl whose hands were thrown up in defense. Liz froze it was the image from her dream! Not thinking Liz called out, "Hey YOU!"  
  
The man turned his face was grotesquely contorted-almost inhumanly, "Wait your turn," He licked his lips revealing elongated canines and turned back to the girl lying before him.  
  
"What if I don't want to wait Creep?" Liz challenged, not feeling half as brave as she sounded.  
  
Again he-it turned to her but his time he began to advance on her. Shit! This is not good! Liz pressed the release on her baton expanding its length to a foot. "Go get help!" Liz yelled to the girl.  
  
No sooner had she taken this action then it hurled itself at her with a ferocity Liz had never seen before. She decided to use her smaller size to her advantage-this sicko may be the same height but she was easily forty pounds lighter and in better shape. Turning as he passed her Liz brought the baton down on the back of its kneecap, and then ducked away from its punch. Silently thanking her eccentric father's fetish for living amongst dangerous criminals, she barely missed a jab to her mid-section. Liz danced back and forth weaving in and out of its largely unskilled attacks, "Stay still so I can kill you!" It roared in anger and took another swipe at her gut.  
  
This time Liz wasn't fast enough to get out of range, all the air in her lungs was knocked out of her in a rush. Sensing her weakness her opponent seized her throat and began squeezing. Squirming Liz continued to fight but she knew if help didn't come soon she was a goner. Out of nowhere she heard the familiar release of a crossbow bolt. Her assailant cried out as it pierced his flesh, suddenly there was nothing holding her in the air-he was gone! Rolling on her side Liz grasped for air and looked up at the stars focusing on their clarity-then she passed out.  
  
  
  
Part Two  
  
Liz let out a gasp and sat straight up, she was in a comfortable bed wrapped in warm blankets and ill-fitting but dry clothes, the man stationed at her bedside jumped out of the chair he had been sleeping in, "What the devil..."  
  
She appraised him tensing just in case he was helping the cretin who had tried to strangle her, "Who are you? Where am I?"  
  
"Well sweetheart..." He began with a thick Irish accent, "You're at my pal Angel's place and you're one ungrateful broad seeing how we saved your butt in that alley. We didn't have to you know."  
  
"I'm not ungrateful," Liz grated, "I don't know you from atom why should I assume you want to help me? Especially after nearly being killed by some freak in an alley. Now tell me who are you where am I and did the girl get out safely?"  
  
"Like I said you're at my friend's place. We saved you from Mr. Tall Dark and Deadly, I'm Doyle you'll meet Angel later and yes, the girl got away safely." He smoothed his gaudy polyester shirt and stood up, "Now would you mind telling me who you are? There must be seven different identities in your bag of tricks."  
  
He was holding out the various forms of counterfeit ID she had accumulated during her life on the run with her father-old habits died hard. "Does it really matter?" Liz asked innocently.  
  
"Yes, it does." A voice spoke out from the doorway behind her, "What possessed you to take on a mugger all by yourself?"  
  
Liz turned to face the tall man standing there-he wore an air of mysterious brooding, something Liz found annoying at best, "The girl needed help. He would have killed her if I hadn't interrupted him, as it is I really doubt that this was any ordinary mugger. From where I'm looking at it everything balanced out, she's alive, I'm alive and now we can all live happily ever after."  
  
She attempted to get out of the bed and on to her feet but a shock of pain stopped Liz in her tracks. "Yeah, everything's a-okay including those broken ribs of yours." Doyle commented.  
  
The man she clearly guessed was Angel came to her side and slid her back into bed and passed her a glass of water and two pills. "Here these should take the edge off the pain but you have to stay still for a while."  
  
"Great," Liz smiled thinly taking the pills-she didn't see a point of arguing-yet, "I'm stuck here for you to cross examine me. Since when do good deeds get this kind of reward?"  
  
Trying to diffuse what could have become a dangerous situation Angel sighed, "I think we've all gotten off on the wrong foot. Shall we begin again? My name is Angel this is my home and earlier I saved your life." He pointed to Doyle, "This is my partner Doyle we run a detective agency and you would be?"  
  
"The only person in this room with a last name." Liz laughed then groaned at the pain she had caused herself, "I'm Liz Rupert, student at UCLA, cat owner and part-time super-hero."  
  
She didn't know why she hadn't given them her real name, somehow using the last name her father had recently begun using had felt right-besides she still didn't know if she could trust these two. She could sense they were hiding something, but so was she-everybody has their secrets. Liz yawned, the pain killers Angel had given her were already starting to work and she slid into a drug induced sleep, but not before she heard Doyle comment to Angel, "Are you getting the funny not quite human feeling from her too?"  
  
********  
  
The halls of the High School echoed the clicking of her heels as she ran. Everything depended on her getting away from the monster chasing her, but her realistic side told her she was going to die just like her uncle had not so long ago. If only she could have told them what she had found! Opening the door she charged into the landing and ran right in to HIM. "Hello Janna." Then 'snap' she was dead...  
  
"NO!!!" Liz screamed aloud, she had to get out of here.  
  
Doyle and Angel came running into the room, "What is it?" Angel asked her.  
  
Liz backed away from him, "Get away from me! You...You're a thing like the one in the alley! You killed her! Stay away!" She found her bag on the nightstand and retrieved the baton extending it expertly.  
  
"Now see here..." Doyle began.  
  
"NO! I'm not going to see anything! My dreams are never wrong..." She pointed at Angel who was looking like a beaten dog, "You are a monster! You just killed her."  
  
"Killed who?" Doyle prompted.  
  
"Janna." Liz sobbed uncontrollably.  
  
Angel sank into a nearby by chair, he wore the look of a dog beaten repeatedly and began sobbing to himself. "Will you pull it together man! You sound like a bleeding woman!!" Doyle shouted at him then turned to calm Liz, "Now listen, there's a few things we need to explain to you. If you stop screaming and listen I can explain them all to you, but I can't do that until you stop and calm down just a wee bit."  
  
Liz bit her lip but stopped, "Okay...What is he...who are you...Why would I see him killing her..."  
  
"Well to tell the truth my friend here is a vampire..." Doyle placed a hand on Liz's arm as she backed farther away, "Once he was a bad vampire and he killed many people-including the Janna in your dream. But a short while back Angel was cursed with a soul so that he'd feel guilt for every bad thing he'd ever done..."  
  
"And how much would that be..." Liz began frightened but believing Doyle- perhaps her father wasn't as crazy as she had thought.  
  
The demon shrugged, "He's two-hundred and fifty years old." He then noticed the way the girl was taking the news. "Are you alright? You seem a bit undisturbed by the fact that I just told you vampires exist."  
  
Now it was Liz's turn to be truthful, "When I was younger my father used to talk about vampires existing-I thought it was a twisted fairy tale to justify why we were always on the run. He told me that I never had to fear the vampires because in every generation a girl was chosen to fight them, he called her a Slayer."  
  
"Oh my God, Buffy!" Angel moaned rocking.  
  
Doyle got off the bed and slapped the vampire across the face, "I've always wanted to do that...Get it together man!" he returned to his perch, "Now tell me about your father...why would he tell you stories like that?"  
  
"Nobody ever believed him he was a drunk. You'd have to be a fool to believe anything that Jack Giles said!" Liz babbled mostly to herself.  
  
"Giles!" Angel lifted his head from his hands, "Did you say your father's last name was Giles?"  
  
Liz blushed they had caught her lie, "Yes, Jack Giles, I'm Elizabeth-Liz. Is there a problem with that??"  
  
The two demons looked at each other, Doyle shrugged while Angel picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
Part Three  
  
  
  
Rupert Giles knew something was amiss when he entered his home, the window facing east was open and he remembered closing it before he had left. Slowly he slipped a wooden stake out of his pocket and moved forth, he nearly jumped out of his skin when the lights came on. Standing next to the switch was a tall man with short brown hair and bloodshot gray eyes, "Long time no see big brother."  
  
"Jack!" Giles stared at him opened mouthed, his brother had disappeared nearly twenty years ago.  
  
The man sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I used to be brother I'm not so sure of who I am lately. I'm sorry I broke in but I wanted to get you alone and away from your Slayer. I need your help."  
  
Giles felt transported back decades to when he and Jack had been young, Giles as "Ripper" had been bad but next to his younger brother he had been angelic. "After all this time you've come back for a favor? You didn't even attend mother or father's funerals!"  
  
Jack looked stricken, "If it had been safe Liz and I would have been there, I didn't want to involve you Rupert."  
  
Giles continued, "Who is Liz? Your new woman?"  
  
"She's the only thing I've ever done right, I'm here to help her more than myself." The younger Giles smiled thinly at his brother's disbelief, "She's my daughter Rupert, and I can't protect her any more, we have to stop running."  
  
"Your WHAT?!?" Giles nearly choked.  
  
"My daughter." Jack motioned for Rupert to sit, "Before I left do you remember the girl I was with?"  
  
"Yes, she was downright strange even for you..." Giles began lecturing.  
  
"Yeah, she was a demon, using me to proliferate her species. Once Liz was born she planned on killing me," Jack reflected on his own stupidity, "When I found out I took our daughter and ran, I've been running ever since."  
  
Giles didn't know what to say, but his brother continued, "I've done my best to raise Liz, but she's nineteen years old and sick of running. She gets prophetic dreams and one day soon she'll find out what she really is and I don't know how to help her through that." Jack looked at his older brother pleadingly.  
  
"I can't say I'd know what to do." Giles told him, "You've managed to keep the girl from her mother all this time?"  
  
"It hasn't been easy." Jack began rubbing his temples, "I've taught her how to defend herself but I know Elandra will find her eventually if I don't do something to stop her. I can't think of my little girl as a heartless demon-and that's exactly what Elandra will turn her into. Rupert I'm not asking for anything for myself but for my child, please say you'll help."  
  
Giles was at a loss; he had missed his brother through the years-they and the girl were all that was left of the Giles family. "You named her Liz?"  
  
"No, actually," Jack straightened up, "I named her after mother, Elizabeth Cecilia. She always preferred Liz." He pulled out a picture of a tall lean young woman with shoulder length light-brown hair and the hazel eyes of her uncle and father, "She's quite smart Rupert, managed a scholarship to UCLA for history and Medieval studies."  
  
Giles knew he wasn't going to turn his brother down; he wanted to meet his niece for himself. He began to ask more questions about the girl but was interrupted by the ring of the phone. Giles picked it up and spoke into the mouthpiece, "Hello Rupert Giles..."  
  
  
  
1 Part Four  
  
Xander couldn't believe his luck, another Saturday spent helping Giles with some research and to top it off he'd heard Angel was in town for a brief visit. He kicked a rock into the side of a classic black mustang, and rushed to see if he had left any permanent damage. "I don't think you hurt it," a voice called from the other side.  
  
Xander looked up to see a pretty girl about his age standing there with a cat carrier in her hand. She was nearly as tall as he was and she was in her bare feet, her long legs peaked out under her rolled up jeans-somehow she made the ratty old Sex Pistols shirt she wore sexy. As always when presented with a pretty girl Xander froze, "Hi...I'm...uh...Xander."  
  
"Nice to meet you," She had a hint of a British accent, "I'm Liz."  
  
A voice called out from a balcony in Giles' building, "Liz will you please come inside, your uncle would like to meet you very much."  
  
She sighed, "Yes, father I'm coming right up." Liz turned to Xander, "Are you meeting someone in the building?"  
  
"Well yeah, Rupert Giles." He told her.  
  
A laugh escaped her lips-nicely shaped lips Xander thought, "What a coincidence he's my uncle."  
  
Xander stayed in a catatonic state as Liz lead him up to the apartment and opened the door. Upon seeing Giles he regained some of his senses, "Hey G- man you've been holding out all these years."  
  
Giles turned to face the boy, "Oh Xander I utterly forgot you'd be coming by today." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
  
Liz burst out laughing and would have fallen if she hadn't grabbed Xander's arm, "So it is a family thing!!"  
  
"What?" All eyes asked her.  
  
Liz swallowed another round of laugher, "Dad and I do the same thing when we're agitated Uncle, I always thought it was a learned behavior but now I know it's in my genes!!!"  
  
She laughed again and Xander joined her, the other man who Xander guessed was her father began to smile, "She's got you there Rupert."  
  
Even Giles cracked a smile, "Well, seeing how you're here I guess you can help me get Jack and Liz settled in, they're going to stay with me for a bit. You've already introduced yourself to Liz so I'd like you to meet my younger brother Jack-this is Xander Harris one of my former students at Sunnydale High."  
  
The younger Giles shook Xander's hand, "Pleasure to meet you. So how was it enduring old Ripper here as a teacher...he didn't bore you to death did he?"  
  
Xander couldn't help but laugh; he was going to like this guy. "Dad don't be mean you always told me how wonderful Uncle Rupert was." Liz came to the Watcher's rescue.  
  
"Uncle Rupert, I guess that's just a bit formal isn't it?" Giles mused.  
  
"Yeah, just call him Giles," Xander interrupted, "That's all we've ever called him."  
  
"We?" Liz asked.  
  
"Ya know, Willow, Oz, Buffy and me..."  
  
"Oh you're friends with the Slayer?" Liz's eyes glowed.  
  
"I didn't say that..." Xander defended himself.  
  
Giles came to the boy's aid, "There's no need for secrecy, my brother trained as a Watcher as did I and Liz being his daughter has learned a few necessary things."  
  
"Lot of good it all did me," Liz rubbed her sides tenderly, "I only just got around to believing in vampires myself."  
  
Xander took his eyes from her hands, "What led to that?"  
  
"I attacked one in an alley, then got rescued by Doyle and Sir Broods-a- Lot. That's how I got here from LA."  
  
Xander liked her way of thinking, "Sir Broods-a-Lot, does he have dark hair underneath the gel, kind of pale, likes his steak very rare?"  
  
"That would be him that never smiles it would," Liz thickened her accent nodding.  
  
"So they just brought you here and left?" Xander prompted.  
  
Liz smiled, "No, Angel didn't come with me. He kept muttering about people to save, gel to buy. Doyle drove me-we took Angel's car." She grinned devilishly, "You know the classic black one you kicked a rock into."  
  
Xander couldn't believe it, "That's Dead-boy's? Is this Doyle still around?"  
  
"Yeah, he's lurking around the Dale getting info," Liz jerked her thumb at her father and uncle, "For these two old biddies. Doyle's a nice guy, he even let me pick up Baxter so he wouldn't be lonely." She tickled her cat.  
  
The two continued as if they were the only ones in the room, "So did you like the whole cryptic champion thing?" Xander fished.  
  
"Nah, I've always preferred the hopeless romantic. Besides, necrophilia just isn't my thing." Giles nearly choked when Liz pronounced those words, "What?" she asked innocently.  
  
Giles knew nothing serious would get done right now and he needed a chance to find what kind of demon Elandra was before they told the girl about her parentage, "Xander why don't you take Liz out and show her Sunnydale, introduce her to Buffy and Willow."  
  
Xander looked at Giles with glee in his eyes, "No sweat G-man," he held out an arm for Liz, "My lady"  
  
Liz looked to her father and nodded; pulling on her biggest smile she took Xander's arm, "After you brave Sir,"  
  
Neither heard Giles groaning aloud as they walked out the door.  
  
********  
  
Liz followed Xander around the Bronze-Sunnydale's only club-she had exchanged the Sex Pistols shirt for a black tank and leather jacket. Xander was just finishing his story about the Inca Mummy girl when a petite blonde came up to them a red head in tow. "Xander are you going to introduce your new friend?" Buffy stomped on his foot.  
  
"You must be Buffy," Liz held out her hand, "I'm Liz Giles, Xander was just telling me about all the fun you had in high school here."  
  
Willow grew agitated, 'Um...fun...nope just regular high school...nothing out of the ordinary."  
  
"Liz GILES?" Buffy asked, "Any relation to Rupert?"  
  
Liz smiled at Xander, "Tall chap, serious, British accent, rather fond of tweed?"  
  
"That would be him," Willow answered.  
  
"He's my uncle." Liz let the girls breathe, "My father and I are here for a visit. It was rather boring at Uncle Rupert's so he got Xander to bring me out and about."  
  
"But you were telling her things..." Willow babbled, "Crime club things" she added.  
  
"Will, Liz's father trained as a Watcher, she knows all about Buffy." He smiled, "She's even met Angel."  
  
With that the Slayer pounced on the girl, "You have! How is he? I mean..."  
  
"He's fine," Liz looked to Xander, "He's got this whole penance thing going on in LA, he saved me when I decided to take on a very pale mugger and nearly got myself killed."  
  
"You took on a vampire?" Willow asked although she was tall Liz didn't look very strong.  
  
"Yep, got the broken ribs to prove it too." She grimaced, "Which reminds me that even if you have won three out of four rounds those guys are gonna get you in the end."  
  
Now it was Buffy turn for shock, "You lasted three rounds?"  
  
Liz blushed-she hadn't meant to draw attention to her self-and drew out her baton, "Just me and Billy here. But say you haven't told me your name so I'll guess that you're Willow" she added to the redhead.  
  
'Oh...Yes, that's me," She spotted her boyfriend walking towards them, "And this is Oz my boyfriend, Oz this is Giles' niece Liz."  
  
The short boy nodded, "Hey," he saw the pick around her throat, "You play?"  
  
Liz reached up at her good luck charm, "Bass, my dad taught me. He's still living in the glory days of Punk music."  
  
"And he's related to GILES?" Buffy asked in disbelief.  
  
"They had a band when they were younger you know, Uncle Rupert was the drummer." Liz remarked, "My father just never settled down."  
  
Xander laughed, "Oh yeah, and he wears leather the way Giles wears tweed, not to mention that he has a sense of humor!"  
  
Tension dealt with the group settled into an agreeable night talking about everything from parents to how prissy Giles could be to Liz's travels around the world, none of them was aware of the evil lurking in the shadows of the crowded club. From the darkness Elandra watched, she had finally found her child.  
  
  
  
Part Five  
  
  
  
"I've got it!" Doyle swung Giles' door wide as he entered and was greeted by both Giles.  
  
"Elandra?" Jack asked.  
  
"Well yes, and no," The demon hedged, "What we've got here is a very interesting case..."  
  
"For Christ's sake just tell us what you found!" Giles snapped at the half demon.  
  
Doyle sat and pulled out a hip flask, drinking from it before beginning, "This Elandra you want info on is a pretty nasty character. She's one of the original demons, the ones that fell with Lucifer. She doesn't have her own form, she's a shape shifter-that was the curse put on her when she, it fell."  
  
"But why does she want Liz so badly?" Jack interrupted.  
  
"It seems that millennia of formlessness have not agreed with Elandra, she needs the body of her own half human progeny to..." Doyle took another drink, "Bring herself back to full power. The living body, the soul is what she needs and right now the only one who meets the criteria is Liz."  
  
"Oh no," Jack sat limply.  
  
"It gets worse," Doyle told them, "Apparently there's been this prophesy since the beginning of human existence 'Child of Darkness, Child of Light sacrificed on the alter of love yadda yadda yadda.' Goes on to say that if the child of light dies for the child of darkness then there'll be a cleansing of the earth and only demons will survive it. I think Liz is the Child of Darkness."  
  
"That would make sense," Giles took a deep breath-he had dealt with many prophecies warning about the end of the world-but none of them had his only niece as a catalyst, "We're going to have to tell Liz when she returns, she should at least be aware..."  
  
"I should be aware of what?" Liz asked from the doorway, they hadn't heard her and Xander enter the apartment.  
  
Jack looked up at his only child stricken, "Sit down honey we have to talk."  
  
"Yes," Giles cleared his throat, "Thank you very much Xander I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Liz seized a surprised Xander by the hand, "NO, he's going to stay and hear this too. I have no secrets from Xander," she looked into his eyes, "I consider him a friend."  
  
"Very well, " Giles sighed.  
  
"I'll begin," Jack on the couch to make room for the two young people, "Liz what do you remember me telling you about your mother?"  
  
"That she wasn't a nice woman," Liz rhymed off, "That she knew she couldn't raise me so she gave me to you and left."  
  
Jack ran a hand through his hair, "That's not quite all true."  
  
Xander held Liz's hand tightly as if to transfer his strength into her, "What do mean 'not quite true' father?"  
  
"Well, I was right she is horrible-but she's not a person. Your mother is a demon..." Jack broke and began to sob quietly.  
  
Liz looked back and forth between Doyle and her uncle, "Is this true?"  
  
Doyle handed his flask to her-he could still remember when he had this talk with his own mother. "Every word toots, that's why you are a bit stronger than the average Joe-that vampire would have killed you otherwise. It also explains the dreams you get."  
  
"Like your visions, right?" Liz didn't believe how calmly she was taking this.  
  
"That would be it." Doyle gave her an understanding glance, "But that's not all. See your mom is one of the vilest demons to ever walk on this earth, however she's weaker now because she has no immutable form of her own. She needs your body and soul to regain all of her powers."  
  
"So she's going to find me, kill me, and take my soul and body?" Liz felt ill, "Gee, Dad you can sure pick the winners can't you?"  
  
"Now Elizabeth..." Jack began.  
  
She let out a brittle laugh, "Now I know it's serious, you never call me 'Elizabeth'." Liz rose pulling Xander with her and headed for the door, "I'll be back later. Don't wait up."  
  
The door slammed, Jack rose to follow his daughter but was stopped by Doyle, "Let her be man. You're the last person she wants to see now. Just let her vent it out, she'll be okay. Get some sleep."  
  
Jack looked to his brother, "Go on Jack there's nothing we can do right now, it's a lot of information for her to process," Giles thought about his reaction to being told he would become a Watcher and Buffy's to becoming the Slayer, "Knowing that your own mother wants to kill you must be a bitter pill."  
  
The younger Giles moved slowly to the room he would be staying in, Giles and Doyle watched him. The Watcher rubbed the bridge of his nose, "At least she's not wondering around by herself."  
  
"How much do you know about this Xander kid?" Doyle asked.  
  
Giles was taken aback, "I've known him for years, he's a bit silly but the good sort. Why do you ask?"  
  
Doyle didn't want to put his hunch to the test just yet there was just something about the boy that he couldn't put his finger on. "I don't know just a feeling." 


	2. Sins of the Father 6-9

Part Six  
  
"Liz wait up!" Xander jogged to keep up with her.  
  
She stopped at a nearby tree and began kicking it, "Damn, lying...Grr..." tears began to flow from her eyes.  
  
Not knowing what to say or do Xander simply did what felt right, he grasped Liz by the shoulders and pulled her tight. She turned her face into his chest and let the tears flow, "How could he lie to me Xander? All those years...If he had just told me the truth...I don't want to die."  
  
He brushed her hair down her back gently, "I know it hurts now but I don't think he meant to hurt you. Would he have run all over the world to hide you from her if he didn't love you?"  
  
Liz breathed raggedly, "It's not that I don't know that, it's just as if I've been living one great big lie. Nothing I thought was real is..."  
  
Xander sighed and pushed her back slightly so that he could look into her eyes, "I've never told anyone about this-not even Willow-but I know exactly how you feel. Minus the mom is a horrible demon coming to kill me thing. My twelfth birthday present from my dad was being told I was adopted and a beating, for awhile I felt like you do now."  
  
The pain on his face spoke volumes to Liz; tears had begun to form in his eyes as well. Reaching out she brushed them away but allowed her hand to rest on his face. "What a shity thing to do to a little kid." Even though her own childhood had been uncouth there had always been love.  
  
"Yeah, well that's my old man for you." Xander couldn't break her intent gaze, but more importantly he didn't want to.  
  
Liz leaned forward and kissed him; as if her lips could wipe away the hurt he had suffered. They broke apart not really knowing what was going on between them-they had only just met. Liz raised a hand to Xander as he began to speak, "I don't normally..."  
  
"Shh! Do you hear..." She didn't finish the sentence as two vampires jumped out of the bushes.  
  
The vampires sized up their prey, the larger of the two pointed to Liz, "We'll take this one first so her boyfriend can watch."  
  
He reached out for Liz's arm but instead found her trusty baton cracking down on his elbow shattering the joint. The beast howled in pain, "You're gonna pay for that!"  
  
He charged her but only received a blow to the back of his head. The other vamp had decked Xander but he was rising to his feet determined nothing would happen to Liz. He grabbed the vamp's arm on the next charge and swung it head first into a tree. Using the time it was stunned to his advantage Xander quickly pulled out the stake he had taken to carrying with him and sent the vampire to whatever hell they came from. He looked up to see Liz taking all her aggression out on the vampire dumb enough to attack her, "Liz, put it in the heart!" he threw the stake to her.  
  
Reaching out it landed smoothly in her hand and was just as quickly brought down into the vampire's heart turning it to dust. Liz retracted her baton and put it back into her bag, "So do you do this with all the pretty girls?"  
  
"No, just Giles' nieces." Xander was glad to see her sense of humor was returning.  
  
Liz grinned, swiftly she closed the distance between them and kissed Xander again, "It's a good thing he only has one then."  
  
  
  
1 Part Seven  
  
  
  
For the first time in years Xander felt at home in his home, he and Liz had returned there after the fight with the vampires. They had stayed up talking all night long pouring out the pain of their childhoods and their fears for the future.  
  
When Xander shared his fear of turning out like his alcoholic adoptive- father, Liz had kissed him gently reminding him that they both had demons to face-some more literal then others. They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, but sleep had been all they had done. Xander raised himself up slightly to watch Liz sleep; her hair fell over her face veiling everything but her lips. Sensing his movement Liz moved closer to him curling her long legs up and resting her head on his chest. She opened her eyes and gazed at him, "Good morning."  
  
A part of him lurched, "Morning yourself, it's more like Afternoon."  
  
"How late is it?" Liz questioned, "Do I have to move?"  
  
"Not if I can help it you're not," Xander placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, he couldn't explain what he felt for her-it seemed to transcend the physical yet at the same time she seemed to be built to fit into his arms.  
  
Liz smiled; she had been plagued with happy dreams for the first time ever- they were all about Xander. Not a single nightmare had intruded as he held her. She turned and kissed him gently, "I like waking up like this, can I take you back to LA to be my alarm clock?"  
  
"Would I get to be a bed warmer too?" Xander grinned devilishly; her sense of humor was a broad as his.  
  
"I don't know I was thinking of making you sleep with Baxter." Liz laughed hysterically as he began tickling her while managing to give her the sweetest puppy-dog face, "Stop it! You're not being fair!"  
  
Xander laughed and let her up for air before he brought his lips down on hers, kissing her felt like the most natural thing he'd ever done. "Xander! Giles asked me to see if you'd seen..." Buffy started from the stairs and finished limply, "...Liz"  
  
Xander and Liz broke apart and placed looks of innocence on their faces, "Hi Buff, Liz is right here." Xander began to rise.  
  
"I can SEE that." Buffy's eyes continued to bug out.  
  
Ducking her head Liz tucked her hair behind her ears and stretched, "Have I worried Giles and my father much?"  
  
"I'd say so he's had me looking for you since the sun came up!" Buffy couldn't believe she was being so snappish, it wasn't like she'd walked in on them doing anything-they were fully dressed.  
  
Xander came to Liz's rescue; "We were attacked last night while we were taking a walk. We dusted them but you know how it is, we didn't want to go anywhere until the sun rose." He ran a hand through his hair, "So Liz stayed here with me."  
  
Picking up her jacket from where she'd thrown it Liz turned to him, "I should probably make an appearance, I'm mad but I don't want Dad to worry too much, besides there are a few things that need to be settled."  
  
"I'm coming with you then," Xander picked up the car keys he still hadn't returned to his uncle, "You're not doing this alone."  
  
Buffy stood there knowing she had missed something big last night after they had left the Bronze. There was a strong bond between Liz and Xander, the girl seemed to know him better than either Buffy or Willow did. The Slayer could feel a current moving through the air that separated them; whatever had occurred had affected the two of them deeply. She quietly followed them out, she'd find out what it was when they got to Giles'.  
  
*******  
  
Jack jumped to his feet to hug his daughter when she appeared in the door of his brother's apartment. "I'm so sorry Liz can you ever forgive me? I know I was wrong, but I only did it because I love you."  
  
Having missed the previous night's theatrics Buffy stood off to the side as the man she guessed was Liz's father poured his heart out. Looking at Xander first Liz accepted her father's embrace, "It's okay Dad. I'm fine. I just needed some space."  
  
Giles came forth with nearly parental concern, "Where were you all night, we thought that maybe..."  
  
"Mom had found me and started to prepare the ritual to kill me?" Liz shrugged, "No such luck, I stayed with Xander last night."  
  
Xander blushed as Jack's eyes swept his face, "We were walking and got attacked by vampires-I thought it'd be safer to stay inside the rest of the night."  
  
"Attacked? Are you alright?" Jack looked Liz up and down making sure was still attached.  
  
Liz smiled and glanced at Doyle, "I'm fine, this time I knew how to get rid of them. Besides Xander helped, he was like a knight in shining armor."  
  
Wincing Buffy remembered that Angelus had called Xander HER white knight. "As much as the family reunion touches me I'd like to know what's going on. If there's big evil to slay, I'm your girl just tell me about it."  
  
Realizing they had left the Slayer out Giles began muttering, long complicated sentences explaining the night before. Fortunately he was cut off, "Liz here is what you'd call a half-demon, unfortunately her mom needs to kill her in order to regain all of her demon strength. Did I miss anything?" Doyle gave the reader's digest version.  
  
"What kind of demon are we talking about?" Buffy asked, not envying Liz's position any more.  
  
"Elandra is a shape shifter." Giles took off his glasses and began cleaning them, "And an original demon, she won't be easy to stop or destroy."  
  
"That means 'full research mode' doesn't it?" Xander asked only to be rewarded with a glare-it was time to call in the rest of the troops.  
  
Part Eight  
  
Liz stretched her legs and shifted the musty book that lay across her lap, her feet had fallen asleep. She looked at the others sitting in her uncle's living room, they had all entered what Xander called 'full research mode', pouring through books on demons and the occult searching for a way to defeat her mother. The silence was deafening as Liz slammed the book shut, "Ugh! I don't know how you people can stand this!"  
  
Pacing Liz limped on her numb feet; every eye in the room was pasted to her. Willow smiled, "It's all the practice we get here. It seems like there's a dangerous and evil thing to research every week or so."  
  
Knowing how frustrated Liz must be Xander stood up, "Well, I think it's about time for a donut run. A change of scenery might help Liz."  
  
Liking the idea of more time alone with Xander as much as getting out of the apartment Liz grinned, "Only if I get to drive,"  
  
They were gone before anyone could say a word.  
  
********  
  
"How many jelly, crullers and glazed should we get?" Liz asked eyeing the selection the donut shop had.  
  
"Well, Buffy eats like a horse so there should be at least six donuts set aside for her," Xander winked.  
  
"I guess she can, fighting demons must really burn calories," Liz laughed when he poked her sides, "Come on we're in public!"  
  
"Yeah, but notice how you father and Uncle aren't here to give me dirty looks." Xander teased.  
  
Liz turned to face him, "I'm sure my father likes you, he's just not used to the idea of me dating..."  
  
Not understanding how a beautiful girl like Liz could say something like that, "Why not? The LA guys are probably beating a path to your door."  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, but the only guy that's been in my life lately other than my father is Baxter," Liz grinned impishly.  
  
Xander's heart fell-she was involved with some one, "Baxter..."  
  
"Yeah, he's kind of small, and really furry, but I enjoy scratching his tummy," she joked thinking about how cute Xander looked when he was confused, "Baxter, my cat Xander I was talking about my CAT!"  
  
Xander was relived there was no boy-friend back in LA, he couldn't imagine anyone else touching Liz-Where is this coming from? We've barely known each other for twenty-four hours! He chided himself over his jealously, Then why does it feel like forever? . "Earth to Xander?" Liz's eyes were full of concern, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah," he shook his head to clear the cobwebs, "I was just thinking about how strange all this is, I mean not in a bad way, but I mean there's all these feelings and we hardly know each other."  
  
Liz let out a breath, "You feel that way too? I'm not the kind that rushes into things. It would scare me if it didn't feel so right." They moved closer together.  
  
"May I serve you?" the cashier broke into the moment.  
  
"Uh...yeah...two dozen, half crullers, half jelly, half glazed and half sprinkled," Xander told the geek behind the counter, "Can you hurry with it?" he turned back to Liz, "Where were we?"  
  
"Attempting to have a serious conversation about what we feel for each other in the middle of a donut shop with everyone watching." Liz nudged.  
  
"Oh really?" He brightened, "Everyone, so I guess you'd get kind of embarrassed if I grabbed you and kissed you passionately right here?"  
  
Liz looked around at the clientele, some blue-haired old ladies and a couple of Sunnydale's finest were in the building, "You wouldn't dare, these people see you all the time..." She was cut off by said passionate kiss.  
  
"Umm...excuse me?" The counter geek interrupted yet again, "Your donuts. That will be $5.96"  
  
Pulling out the money Liz tried not to notice the evil eye they were getting from the old ladies. Handing the kid a ten Liz pulled Xander out behind her, "Keep the change."  
  
In the far parking lot they collapsed on the hood of the car, tears running down their eyes, "I've always wanted to do that!" Xander tried to stay upright.  
  
"Oh really?" Liz moved in, "Who was the ideal person?"  
  
Xander didn't even need to think, "The one I did it with."  
  
"Ahh, how cute look at the lovebirds," A voice called out from behind them.  
  
One of the cops from the donut store was approaching them, followed by several burly vampires. The cop began to change shape to reveal a tall thin woman with blond hair, "Bring the girl to me,"  
  
Xander and Liz looked around; there was nothing they could use as a weapon, Liz's baton being on the backseat of the car. Not thinking Liz kicked at the head of the leading vamp, he shook it off and reached for her, "Come on little girl, I won't bite."  
  
Three vamps advanced on her while two went after Xander. Liz was doing her best to fight them off but she was getting tired. She noticed the woman had moved in and grasped Xander by the neck, "Stop fighting or I'll kill him right now."  
  
Liz let her fists fall to her sides she wouldn't let anything happen to Xander, "Alright but you have to let him go," She took a breath and guessed who was facing her, "Mother."  
  
The thing holding Xander smiled, "So Jack told you about me, I wondered when that spineless worm would do it," She nodded to the vamps who began backing off, "Since we're catching up on our mother-daughter time, why should I let him go, daughter dear?"  
  
Liz cringed at the tone the thing that was her mother took, "Because I'll go with you quietly and cooperatively if you do," she decided to take a chance, "You can always kill him later when you've regained your powers."  
  
Elandra considered this, "Very true, it's nice that you've accepted your fate my dear," It made a twisted facsimile of a smile, "It would have been easier if Jack had let me kill you when you were young, you wouldn't have missed life on earth."  
  
It's hand twisted into a blunt club and she hit Xander in the back of the head with it, "I can't have your little boyfriend telling them which way we went."  
  
Liz put a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. A vampire moved behind her and hit her with the butt of a gun, as she fell to the ground Liz focused on Xander's face and hoped that help would come for her before it was too late.  
  
  
  
Part Nine  
  
"Doyle?" Giles snapped his head up from his book, "What was it that you were saying before about a Child of Darkness and a Child of Light?"  
  
The demon scratched his head, "Umm...how did that go again... 'Sacrificed on the alter of love, the Light will..."  
  
"Be extinguished and the world shall be plunged into eternal darkness?" The watcher finished.  
  
"Yeah that's..." He was cut off as a blinding pain seared through his head.  
  
Images passed in front of his eyes-Xander jumping in front of Liz, a knife plunging into him, a whirlwind encircling a duplicate Liz and the end of the world. The pain began to back off and he opened his eyes to behold the very worried glances of the assembled Scoobies. "Are you alright?" Willow asked gently putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"We have to find Xander and Liz, they're in trouble," He gasped out, "I think they were in some sort of church-but it was all burnt and in ruin."  
  
"The church Spike tried to heal Drusilla in!" Willow clapped sending waves of pain through Doyle's head.  
  
"Is it Elandra?" Jack appealed, looking haggard.  
  
The door swung open and a very beat-up Xander stumbled in, "They've taken Liz!"  
  
Buffy and Willow ran to their friend while Giles got ice out of the freezer, "Oh my God Xander what happened?"  
  
Oz helped him into a seat-Jack lost what color he had possessed, "Elandra attacked us with a bunch of vampires, she grabbed me and was going to kill me but Liz traded herself for me..." Xander seemed to be in shock, "We can't let her die,"  
  
Buffy tried to calm him, "We won't Xander we'll save the world."  
  
Xander looked at her as if she had three heads, "If Liz died I would WANT the world to end-I love her."  
  
Willow gasped; as long as she had known him Xander had not said those words to anyone-without meaning it. He had never even said 'I love you' to Buffy. If Xander loved Liz it would crush him for her to die-Willow couldn't let that happen. Fastening her resolve face Willow turned to Doyle, "What else did you see in the vision?"  
  
Doyle kept his eyes closed, "Elandra finishing the ritual, there were about twenty vamps there...She succeeded."  
  
"Well then we'll just have to change that," Buffy began towards the closet where Giles kept his weapons, "We'll have to plan this attack quickly, we'll need everyone to help."  
  
Standing on shaking legs Doyle pulled Jack and Giles aside, "We can't let Xander go,"  
  
"Why not he's in better shape then you are, I can't see us stopping him." Giles was concerned.  
  
"I didn't say it in front of him or the others but in my vision he got killed instead of Liz," Doyle leaned on a counter for support-the migraine was starting to fade.  
  
"Then Elandra wouldn't get her powers," Jack jumped at any hope.  
  
"No she got more, the prophesy Giles, 'Sacrificed on the alter of love, the Light will be extinguished and the world shall be plunged into eternal darkness' Xander is the Child of Light-he would die for Liz and if he does then I don't know about you but I'd be getting the hell out of Dodge." Doyle finished.  
  
The men turned ashen, "But how will we stop him?"  
  
""Stop who?" Buffy stood next to them a crossbow in hand.  
  
""Elandra," Giles lied smoothly.  
  
"Have we found a way to kill her yet?" Buffy frowned.  
  
Oz stepped forward book in hand, "Liz has to do it-with a concerated sword. Do you have a concerated sword?" he looked to Giles.  
  
Giles went into a back room and began rummaging, "Ah, here it is," He held out a short sword with intricate runic designs on the blade, "It's a witch's claymore, blessed and concerated for all sorts of Wiccan rituals."  
  
"Got anything else back there Giles?" Buffy tried to tease her watcher, "I think we might have a plan."  
  
*********  
  
The knife was raised above her, the chanting had reached it's crescendo- suddenly an arrow pierced the arm holding the knife. The sounds of a battle surged around her, but she could hear her name being called, "LIZ". He was there above her untying her restraints when It rose once more and plunged the knife into his back. His blood began to flow over her and a whirlwind began to encircle It, all she could do was cry out his name as he died next to her, "Xander..."  
  
"XANDER!!!" Liz cried out but couldn't move she was strapped to a stone alter.  
  
"Bad dream my dear?" Elandra moved from the shadows, "Don't worry they won't bother you anymore." It wiped a stray lock of hair away from Liz's face, "When you sleep you look so much like your father."  
  
"Why would you care?" Liz spat, "You were just using him, you were going to kill him when he outlived his purpose!"  
  
"Well, yes." Elandra sighed, "But he always was one of the few humans I could stomach. He never worried about right and wrong until he found out what I really was."  
  
"If humans are so horrible and weak then why do you need me?" Liz challenged-she was going to die anyway.  
  
"Because you have what I lack-a form-I need to destroy your soul so that I may possess that once more." It countered, "So smart, even though you know it's worthless you still try to change something, I never thought any child of mine would have courage."  
  
Liz tugged at her bindings but smiled coldly, "Maybe I'll surprise you."  
  
Elandra laughed and morphed into June Cleaver, "Now we don't have much time left so let's try a mother daughter talk?" It grinned, "So how long have you been sleeping with the young man from the parking lot? He's very attractive, if I was a girl like you..." It changed into an adolescent girl; "I would be doing all kinds of immoral things to that body of his..."  
  
Liz could have gagged but she kept her voice even, "We're not sleeping together-Mother," she turned her cold eyes to It's face, "We have a spiritual connection...I wouldn't ask you to understand, you'd need a heart for that."  
  
"Oh, you really are your father's daughter, he always had a smart-ass line," It morphed back to the blonde, "In fact I think I'll cut his tongue out to remember him by when I've destroyed your world."  
  
Several vampires dressed in long dark robes filed into the clearing and circled the dais the alter stood upon, Elandra morphed to mirror her daughter, "I'm sorry we won't get to finish our chat dear but I really have to kill you now." 


	3. Sins of the Father 10-11

Part Ten  
  
"So here's the plan," Buffy spread a map of the area Willow had procured, "Oz, Willow and I will take the left side, they'll set up with cross bows to cover me as I go in," She nodded to her friends, "Doyle, Xander and the Giles' will take the right, also giving cover while Giles releases Liz. Any questions?"  
  
Every eye was on the Slayer as she did her Patton impression, "Yeah, I'll get Liz out," Xander put in.  
  
"No," the Watcher countered, "It's too dangerous, I won't have you committing suicide."  
  
The boy smiled tightly, "So it's okay for you to do it?"  
  
"ENOUGH!" Jack yelled at them both, "I'll get Liz, she's my daughter."  
  
Losing her patience with the testosterone overdose Buffy put a hand up, "I really don't care as long as someone gets her tells her what to do with the sword, leaves the others to cover him and doesn't get himself killed!" She glared at them, "Now are there any real questions?"  
  
They began carrying the weapons to the waiting vehicles; Doyle paused at Angel's mustang and prayed that it wouldn't get damaged. He leaned over and noticed a small dent, "Hey who dented the car?"  
  
Xander looked up and grinned for the first time since he had returned, "What dent?"  
  
Doyle groaned, if he lived through this Dead-boy-oops Angel was going to kill him.  
  
*******  
  
Elandra ripped Liz's shirt to reveal her chest and began applying some sort of gunk onto her skin. The vampires began lighting candles around the room, when the last was lit they circled around the dais and began to chant in what Liz recognized as ancient Hebrew. The chant rose and fell-soon a wind began to stir around the dais and Elandra's voice soared above it all, picking up a knife from the alter the demon changed her chant. "Hear me spirits of Darkness, gather. I call you to witness the death of this body and soul, I sacrifice them to the Darkness!"  
  
The knife was raised above her, the chanting had reached it's crescendo- suddenly an arrow pierced the arm holding the knife. "NO!" Elandra screamed, "Stop them!"  
  
From her vantage on the dais Liz could hear several vampires bite the dust, she reached out her hands and could feel the blade underneath them. Clenching her fist Liz picked up the knife cutting her palm open-and began cutting her restraints; she would not let this nightmare come true.  
  
********  
  
As they reached their position on the right side of the church, Xander faced Doyle, Jack and Giles, "I'm going in there cover me, when I get Liz I'll bring her out."  
  
The men looked at each other but Jack was the first to respond, "Well then Xander let me share with you a Giles tradition meant for good luck,"  
  
Giles moved to speak-Jack couldn't possibly think about letting Xander go in there, "Jack..."  
  
His brother put one hand up, "Now Rupert, I can see how my Liz feels about this young man so it's time to make him one of the family," Xander was smiling back at Giles and never saw Jack bring the two-by-four down on him.  
  
Giles and Doyle started as Xander fell to the ground unconscious, "Well, that sure stopped him," Doyle knelt by his prone form, "He's gonna have one hell of a headache when he gets up."  
  
Jack dropped the two-by-four and took the sword from his brother, "Rupert, if I don't make it look after her for me. I know I haven't always been the ideal father but I love her," tears ran down his face.  
  
Giles surprised him by pulling him into an embrace, "I promise,"  
  
The brothers let go as Doyle coughed lightly pointing to a single green light, "Uh guys? That's the signal."  
  
Giles and Doyle took up their positions as Jack prepared himself, "Ready, one, two, three!" Giles took aim and hit Elandra in the shoulder as she raised the knife above Liz.  
  
********  
  
Buffy was moving through the ranks of vampires slowly, every once and a while one would explode before she could reach it and the Slayer thanked God that Willow and Oz had started to take cross-bow lessons from Giles. She spun and kicked one vamp in the head, as she staked it she saw Jack run in from the darkness. Buffy continued to kill vampires; she just hoped Jack would get Liz out all right.  
  
******  
  
Liz had already cut away her hand restraints and was working at the ones on her feet when her Father reached the dais, "Liz!" he cried and began on her other foot.  
  
"Dad, what are all of you doing here?" she asked, as she got free.  
  
"Dying!" Elandra hissed pushing Jack several feet in the air, "Did you think that you could stop this?"  
  
Liz sunk as It slapped her across the face. Liz struggled as the thing that was her mother grasped her neck in a vice-like grip. "I'm going to enjoy this now!" It screeched raising the knife.  
  
"NO!" Jack threw himself on top of Liz, getting the knife buried in his back.  
  
Liz scrambled off of the alter and held her father in her arms, "Dad?" tears came pouring from her eyes, "No, I can't do this without you,"  
  
Elandra smiled at her daughter but was stopped from moving in by a very angry Slayer jumping on to the alter and kicking her in the face. It transmuted into June Cleaver once more, "Oh, look it's the big bad Slayer,"  
  
Buffy looked at it and smirked, "Leave it to Beaver? Somebody's been watching too many reruns!"  
  
"Do you think you can beat me?" It asked.  
  
"With that outfit you deserve to be beaten," Buffy struck and the fight commenced.  
  
******  
  
Liz sobbed holding her father, "Why did you do it Dad? I had a dream, it was supposed to be Xander..."  
  
He looked up at his daughter and realized how much he loved her, "He's special Liz, the two of you are meant for each other, never let go of that love. Tell him I'm sorry for knocking him out," he coughed up blood, "I never told you how proud I am of you-dying to save you is the third best thing I've ever done."  
  
Still crying Liz tried to laugh, "What are the other two?"  
  
"Playing first line in Rugby over Rupert and getting Elandra pregnant," he coughed again and drew the sword close to them, "Buffy can't fight her for long, only you can kill her, cut her head off with this."  
  
"Dad, I love you," Liz placed her head on his chest.  
  
He patted her hair, "I know sweetie, I love you too..." Then he was gone.  
  
*********  
  
Buffy didn't know how much longer she could keep fighting; Elandra was thoroughly kicking her ass. With a vicious snap kick Buffy was knocked to the ground, the demon pounced on top of her lifting her head up by her hair, "Slayer didn't you know that you couldn't kill me..."  
  
Buffy was about to speak when she heard a voice come from behind them, "No, that's my job."  
  
They both turned, Liz was standing there sword in hand, her face was covered in blood and tears. She raised the sword and dropped into a fighting stance. Elandra let out a shriek and charged her letting Buffy go. "You can't fight me," It called, "I'm your mother,"  
  
Liz spat at it, "No you just happened to give birth to me. That doesn't make you a parent-love does," She circled It glaring, "I only had one parent and YOU killed him!"  
  
It shrank back from the ferocity of Liz's attack, but soon it began to fight. Liz jumped to avoid a sweep kick and struck Elandra on the side of the head. "You're stronger than I thought," It wiped it's mouth.  
  
Liz twisted her lips, "Maybe I got some of your genes after all," she landed a round house to It's stomach.  
  
Looking up at the girl with murder in her eyes Elandra morphed into Jack, "Come on darling you can't kill your Daddy can you!"  
  
Hesitating a moment cost her, the sword was kicked out of her hand and soon Liz was knocked to the ground. "You should never have tried to fight me- you're not good enough. Not for anything! All you are is a half-breed! No matter how hard you'll try you'll never be fully human!" It moved it's hands to her throat but also for her heart, "He'll want a human you know, someone normal not a THING like you!"  
  
Liz struggled but the words hit home Xander couldn't possibly love HER -after all she was half like this thing. "Liz!" She turned and saw him holding the sword, "Don't let her win! Fight your demons!"  
  
Elandra hissed at the boy. Taking a page from the book of using a distraction to an advantage Liz kicked a long leg up and caught It in the head. The hands slipped from her neck and Liz curled a fist with her bleeding hand-the right hook connected with Elandra's nose with a crunch. Liz flipped herself back onto her feet, "Over here!"  
  
Xander threw the sword, and like the stake the night before it landed in Liz's hand perfectly. She squared off against the demon, "It's funny MOM," she mocked, "But that little pep-talk helped," she slashed at It.  
  
"How's that?" It cringed as Liz knocked Its knees out.  
  
Liz looked down at the thing kneeling at her feet, "If I'm half you, then I'm half Dad."  
  
"Yes a weak pathetic human!" It was prevented from saying anymore as the sword cut through Its neck.  
  
A great cry went up from the earth and light surrounded the head-less form of Elandra, it began to engulf Liz. "NO!" Xander rushed forward but was pulled back by Doyle and Buffy who had been watching the proceedings.  
  
"Just leave her be a second," Doyle cautioned.  
  
Liz was drawn five feet in the air and began to convulse, she could see the world so clearly from its beginnings to the end. She could feel the light infusing her with a power Liz hadn't thought existed-it was light and dark, love and hate, male and female. Her purpose in life became clear-she was the Guardian. Millions of faces rushed before her, she recognized many-her grandparents, Janna and her father. They all said the same thing-Protect Xander.  
  
Everyone watched the light surrounding Liz transfixed, then as rapidly as it had appeared it was gone and the girl was lying motionlessly on the ground. "Liz!" Giles and Xander rushed forward at the same time.  
  
Xander lifted her into his arms, "Is she alive?" he shouted at Giles who was feeling for a pulse, "Dammit Giles does she have a pulse?"  
  
Before he could answer Liz opened her eyes, they were no longer hazel but a silvery white, "I'm fine Xander, you don't need to worry."  
  
All breathed a sigh of relief as Xander clung to her tightly. Once he set her back on her own feet she continued to lean on him snuggled in closer then normal, "Umm does anyone have a shirt I can borrow?"  
  
It was then that everyone realized she was standing in no more than her pants and bra. Oz took off his coat and handed it to her, "Here,"  
  
Liz looked in his eyes and nodded slipping it on, "Thanks,"  
  
Xander just held her closer, knowing that if HE hadn't noticed she was topless because he was more concerned about HER-then he really must be in love.  
  
Part Eleven  
  
  
  
The cemetery was quiet; she could smell the flowers all around her. The stone was simple it read: John Giles Jr. 1952-1999, Brother, Father, and Hero. Liz sat there letting him hear her thoughts, I told them if they wanted me, then they'd have to take Uncle Rupert too, and give Buffy some more space-I mean she is the longest living Slayer in history. I leave for London tomorrow afternoon, they're throwing a big party to send me off, She smiled, Xander and I will leave early. I need him to know that this is something I have to do-not just for me but him as well. I know he'll understand in time, but I want to spare him any pain until that day comes. Uncle Rupert will watch over him for me, I know you will too.   
  
She stood in front of the marker and glanced at it's neighbor-Janna Kalendash-her uncle's love. It seemed fitting that they would lay side by side. "Liz?" his voice inquired softly.  
  
Shaking off her thoughts she looked at him, "Let's go Xander,"  
  
He caught her around the waist and kissed her deeply, "I really wish you weren't leaving," his face revealed his heartache.  
  
Liz wished she could stay-but in order for him to safe she had to leave. Not blinking she brought his eyes to her's-dark and light, "I'll be here Xander even if my body is in London," She kissed him, "My heart is right here."  
  
They let go and began to walk in the general direction of the Bronze, where the party would be. Even if she was leaving the next day, they still had a whole night to be together. 


End file.
